Locomotive cow-catcher



(No Model.)

W. PHILLIPS. LOOOMOTIVE 00W CATGHER;

' No. 289,705. Pafented Dec. 4, 1883.

IN VENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N4 PETERS. Fhnh-Lithngnwo Wnhinllun. v.0.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM PHILLIPS, OF MARSHFIELD, OREGON.

LOCOMOT IVE COW-CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,705, dated December 4, 1883,

Application filed May 9, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

1 Be it knownthat 1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS, of

I Marshfield, in the county of Coos and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Locomotive Cow-Catcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a cow-catcher for locomotives that will throw or remove from the track cows, horses, or other animals, and heavy obstructions-such as rockswithout danger of displacing the engine from the rails.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side View of the front portion of a locomotive with my improved cow-catcher, which is shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the catcher, and Fig. 3 an inverted plan view of the same.

A is the cow-catcher, made of plates of boiler-iron firmly connected to form a A-shape box, open at the under side and inclined to a point at its forward end. At the bottom is a frame of bars, a, that serves to strengthen the plates, and the catcher is firmly bolted to the bumper B. The catcher is made of a width to cover the rails, and to the lower edge of each side is connected a strong spring-plate, I), having its end extending backward and downward, so as to terminate just above the rail.

. The cow-catcher made as describedis strong enough to lift an animal or other obstruction so as to throw it back upon the rear part, from which it will roll off. The springs b, being strong enough to resist heavy pressure, will remove small objects not removed by the catcher, and in case the rails should be sprung they will act to force them down, so that the Wheels can pass safely over.

The catcher may be made of numerous plates riveted together and at the joints, or the plates may be bent to shape.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a snow-plow with bottom springs to fit closely in the groove of the rails, so as to clean the forward end pointed, substantially as described.

WILLIAM PHILLIPS. Witnesses:

F. G. OWEN, E. W. SPRAGUE. 

